Are Serums Crucial in a Good Skincare Routine?

natural acne product

Often we find people shying away from buying expensive serums, but we also have to think about the investment we are making for our skin. While cleansers and facial washes clean our face, they don’t really offer long-term results. But if you use serums, things can be different.

The serum has this quality of absorbing immediately into the skin. This is the reason why aestheticians and dermatologists assert its importance. In this post, we shall see how serums are crucial in a good skincare routine.

What is a Serum?

Serum is a low-viscosity skincare product that contains concentrated amounts of natural oils, active ingredients, and mineral oils. Since they are water-based, they absorb easily into the skin, immediately addressing skin problems.

What are the Benefits of Using a Serum?

If you identify the serum that works best for your skin, you can anticipate great results within a few weeks. Serums pose various advantages to the skin. Here are some of the key benefits:

Quick Absorption & Faster Results

Since serums are water and oil-based mixtures, they absorb faster than moisturizers. Similarly, all the ingredients and nutrients in the serum absorb into the epidermis to address skin problems.

Best for Sensitive Skin 

The great thing about serums is that you can find more water and less oil content. It is ideal for sensitive and acne-prone skin individuals, as it acts as a natural acne product. The liquid is immediately absorbed into the skin, leaving no residue.

Prevention from Future Damage 

You can also target all future concerns with specially designed formulations. The serums containing vitamin E, ferulic acid, vitamin C, green tea, astaxanthin, and resveratrol are great for fighting all skin concerns, such as premature aging, dry skin, skin damage from photoaging, etc.

Light on Skin

Serums are lightweight due to their higher water content. Hence, those who have acne-prone skin benefit a lot from the opacity. It is also a great segment to prep skin before makeup or sunblock.

What Specific Concerns Do Serums Address?

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Serums target various skin concerns. This makes it a crucial element in the skincare routine. There are various serums for particular matters such as:

For Anti-Aging

The serums that target anti-aging are not only working on the visible signs on the skin but also on possible future concerns. Most anti-aging serums have some common elements such as retinol, tazarotene, tretinoin, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, and L-ascorbic acid.

For Skin Brightening

Oftentimes even when you have healthy skin, it lacks the luster and shine. In that case, serums greatly help in addressing this problem. Mostly the ingredients that serums have such as ferulic acid, vitamin C, kojic acid, glycolic acid, licorice root, mushroom extract, and lactic acid brighten the skin.

For Acne

Acne is the result of glands secreting sebum in overdrive. Hence, all elements that control the sebum secretion can be manipulated. The key elements that stop acne from developing are salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, retinol, niacinamide, and vitamin C serum. The ingredients present in an acne serum fight all of its effects, such as inflammation and excess sebum. 

For Hydration

The lack of hydration is another bane for people with dry skin. As a result, the skin looks dull and develops other issues such as dryness, acne, and cracks. Hence, combating this problem is crucial in the early stages.

The traditional hydrating serum includes polyglutamic acid, glycerin, peptides, lactic acid, hyaluronic acid, sodium hyaluronate, and snail mucin.

For Skin Texture

Why don’t you give your skin that extra boost and amp? Some serums are meant to address other skin issues like uneven skin tone, uneven texture, enlarged pores, etc.

The serums meant for skin texture include vitamin C, AHAs, retinol, hyaluronic acid, etc. Your skin glows, pores minimize, and texture looks even with just a little serum application.

What is the Recommended Skincare Routine?

A few methods are incorporated daily to get the best out of your serum. This also promotes a good skincare routine. As a rule of thumb, remember to go from thin to thick opacity products.

After you wash your face with a cleanser, you can start with the serum on your slightly damp face. The serum can be applied to the skin once or twice a day, depending on your need. You should also discuss with your dermatologist before you use new products.

Make sure to also use it at the best time. For instance, if you use the serum for anti-pigmentation or as an antioxidant, the best time to use them is in the morning. It fights all the radicals, pollutants, and UV light as you go about the day. Meanwhile, anti-aging serums work best when applied at night. So, after you have washed your face, removed your makeup and sunscreen, apply the serum on your clean face. Then, ideally, as you rest, the serum for anti-aging works its magic on your skin.

On the other hand, hydrating serums can be applied twice a day. Depending on how the skin responds, one can change the occurrence and frequency of application in the routine.  

As much as possible, use the serum as the first layer on the skin. Afterwards, you can apply your usual moisturizer, sunscreen, or base. When using it for the first time, apply the serum on your wrist as a patch test. If your skin doesn’t develop any reactions or irritation, you can apply it on your face.

Bottom Line

Serums are lightweight products with a high concentration of active ingredients for maximum and faster results. After applying serum, one can apply moisturizer or makeup without any worries.

Each serum type helps in targeting the skin issues. Since the ingredients are targeting your specific concern, you can benefit from the use of serum immediately. It is important to understand the serum type and what time of the day they shall be used. Hence, visit your dermatologist and discuss all the products you intend to use to know which will best work for your skin.